Apparatus for coiling rolled strip



Nov. 9, 1954 T. F. WUTSCHER APPARATUS FOR COILING ROLLED STRIP Filed March 13, 1952 INVENTOR. 7ilfooakfF/za/r/cl 14/07:; 0/67? United States Patent APPARATUS FOR COILING ROLLED STRIP Theodor Friedrich Wutscher, New York, N. Y., assignor to The Loewy Engineering Company Limited, London, England, a British corporation Application March 13, 1952, Serial No. 276,360 3 Claims. (Cl. 24278) rollers during the coiling operation to inwardly directedpressure, in order to produce in the strip the tension which is necessary for the formation of a tightly wound coil. The rollers are so arranged that they are radially displaceable with respect to the mandrel, and can thus give way to the passing strip against the pressure exerted on them as the coil is built up.

vIn coilers of the type described, mechanical interconnections. are generallyprovided between the forming rollers for the purpose of enabling them to be moved together towards and away from the mandrel prior to and aftera coiling operation respectively. These interconnections arealso necessary where, as is usually the case with coilers of the type described,.common pressure means are provided for a plurality of forming rollers.

In known coilers, the interconnections between the forming rollers were composed entirely of rigid members. With this arrangement, it was inevitable that all forming rollers receded simultaneously from the mandrel and thus widened the coiling space as soon .as the first ofthe forming rollers to be contacted by the strip was forced outwards. Consequently, when the remaining rollers were reached by the strip, they were no longer in a position to make effective contact with it. These rollers could therefore not transmit the required pressure to the strip, with the result that the strip could not be coiled properly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coiler for rolled strip, in particular, hot rolled strip, of the type described in which this deficiency is avoided.

According to the present invention, an apparatus for coiling roll strip which comprises a cluster of forming rollers disposed around a central mandrel and radially displaceable with respect to the mandrel and which has means for subjecting these rollers during the coiling operation to inwardly directed pressure is provided with interconnections between the forming rollers which permit limited relative radial movement between the interconnected rollers. It is thus rendered possible for a forming roller to retain its radial position until it is forced back by direct contact with the passing strip, irrespective of any radial displacement of another forming roller to which it is connected. In this .way, effective contact between the strip and all forming rollers will be ensured throughout the coiling operation.

The relative radial movement between interconnected forming rollers may be obtained by incorporating into an interconnection either a resilient or elastic element or an element which has a limited degree of lost-motion, or both. The first of these alternatives is suitable in those cases where the interconnected forming rollers have common radial pressure means.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawing in which one embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example.

The drawings show a sectional view partially in elevation through a coiler to which one embodiment of my invention has been applied.

A coiler according to the invention has a housing or frame 10 which rests on base members 11, the housing being of suitable shape to accommodate and support the various components of the coiler. These consist essentially of a central mandrel or drum 12 around which are disposed in a cluster a number of forming rollers.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, there are four pairs of forming rollers 13, 14, 15 and 16, it being understood that the number of forming rollers and their arrangement and distribution around the mandrel .can be varied as desired.

. the mandrel 12 in which the strip to be coiled enters through a guide piece 18 in a substantially tangential.

direction. Formation of a coil takes place in this space. As will be presently described more in detail, the forming rollers 13 and 16 are so mounted in the coiler frame 10 that they can give way to the strip and recede'in a radial direction as the strip passes them by. At the same time, they are subjected to inwardly directed pressure so asto produce the necessary tension in the strip which is required to obtain a tightly wound coil.

Each of the pair of formingrollers 13 to 16 is mounted on a separate carrier 19. The-four carriers 19 are each connected by means of two curved links 20 and 21 to the housing 10 and to one of four arms 22, 23, 24 and 25 respectively. The arm"22 is connected to the support for therollers 13, the arm 23 to the support for the rollers 14,.the arm 24 to the support for the rollers 15 and the arm 25 to the support for the rollers 16. The four arms 22 to'25 are held in engagement with normally stationary, but. adjustable, eccentrics 26 by means of set screws 27, the points of contact between ing that a rocking movement of any of the arms 22 to.

25 about its pivot points results in a substantially radial movement of the forming rollers carried by the support 19 to. which the respective arms are connectedlby the links 20 and 21.

Radial pressure means for the forming rollers are provided in the form of fluid-pressure cylinders 28 with pistons 29. In the embodiment shown, these fluidpressure means are duplicated, one cylinder 28 being provided for the forming rollers 13 and 14 and one for the forming rollers 15 and 16. The pistons 29 have rods 30 which are pivoted to the arms 22 and 25 respectively, the cylinders 28 being pivoted to the housing 10 by means of pins 31 so as to allow rods 30 to follow the rocking movement of the arms 22 and 25.

Interconnections are provided between the arms 22 and 23, between arms 23 and 24, and between arms 24 and 25. The interconnections between arms 22 and 23 and between arms 24 and 25 are identical and each comprise a resilient element which permits limited relative movement between the interconnected rollers, whilst at the same time ensuring the transmission of radial pressure to the four forming rollers which are associated with one and the same pressure means 28 and 29. The intercom nection between the arms 23 and 24 has an element with a limited amount of lost-motion so that, again, limited relative movement between interconnected rollers is possible. There is, however, under normal conditions, no need for this interconnection to transmit radial pressure; it is only required in case of an occasional failure of one of the two pressure means 28 and 29.

The interconnections between the arms 22 and 23 and betweeen the arms 24 and 25 each consist of a rod 32, a sleeve 33 and a coiled spring 35 inserted between rod and sleeve. The spring abuts with one end against a collar 36 on rod 32 and with its other end against a stop 37 threaded into sleeve 33 whereby the tension of the spring 35 can be adjusted. Rod 32 and sleeve 33, together with spring 35, form an elastic and resilient telescopic interconnection between the arms 22 and 23 and between the arms 24 and 25.

The arrangement of springs 35 in the interconnection between the aforementioned arms enables the rollers 13 3 and 15 respectively to recede when giving way to the strip without at the same time compelling the rollers 14 and 16 respectively to carry out a corresponding radial movement. At the same time, the provision of the spring 35 ensures that full radial pressure is maintained on all the rollers.

The interconnection between the arms 23 and 24 consists of a turn-buckle 39 with a pin-and-slot connection 40 which allows a limited degree of relative movement between these two arms and the forming rollers associated with them. This ensures that the forming rollers 15 and 16 will not be compelled to move outwardly before they are in direct contact with the passing strip.

The coiler is further equipped with the usual pinch rolls 41 at the entry end of the guide piece 18 and with a deflecting roller 42 at its exit end, both the guide piece 18 and the roller 42 having link connections with other moving elements of the coiler so that they are moved outwardly together with the forming rollers.

Before the beginning of a coiling operation, the distance of the forming rollers 13 to 16 from the mandrel 12 is adjusted by means of the eccentrics 26 and set screws 27 in accordance with the thickness of the strip to be coiled. The distance should be preferably slightly less than the thickness of the strip so that the strip can pass through the space between rollers and mandrel, but is forced at the same time into firm contact with the rollers, so that radial pressure can be effectively transmitted from the rollers to the strip. On entering the coiling space through the guide piece 18, the strip will first contact and force back the two forming rollers 13 which are nearest to the guide piece 18. Due to the nature of the interconnections between the forming rollers, the radial movement of the rollers 13 will not cause a simultaneous radial displacement of any of the other forming rollers. These will instead remain in. their positions until they are reached by and in direct contact with the strip. In this way, it will be ensured that each of the rollers will, when passed by the strip, be in a position which permits the establishment of firm contact and effective pressure transmission between roller and strip.

The springs 35 will be so adjusted that they allow the required relative movement between the interconnected rollers and, at the same time, transmit radial pressure to the rollers associated with the arms 23 and 24.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown 4 and described in the present example and can be carried out in various other forms.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for coiling rolled strip, a central mandrel, forming rollers disposed around said mandrel and radially displaceable with respect to said mandrel, carriers for said forming rollers, fluid pressure units urging said carriers together with their rollers towards the center of said mandrel, one fluid pressure unit being provided for two adjoining carriers, a rigid interconnection between each unit and one carrier, and a resilient interconnection between each unit and the other carrier.

2. In an apparatus for coiling rolled strip, a central mandrel, forming rollers disposed around said mandrel and radially displaceable with respect to said mandrel, carriers for said forming rollers, fluid pressure units urging said carriers together with their rollers towards the center of said mandrel, one fluid pressure unit being provided for two adjoining carriers, a rigid interconnection between each unit and one carrier, a resilient interconnection between each unit and the other carrier, and a lost motion connection between adjacent carriers associated with difierent pressure units.

3. In an apparatus for coiling rolled strip, a central mandrel, forming rollers disposed around said mandrel and radially displaceable with respect to said mandrel, carrier means for said forming rollers, fluid pressure operated means connected with said carrier means for urging said carrier means together with their rollers towards the center of said mandrel, said fluid pressure operated means including a fluid pressure cylinder connected with at least two adjoining carrier means by having its plunger connected with one of said carrier means and a yieldable connection between the carrier means to which said plunger is connected and the other of said two adjoining carrier means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,492,954 Biggert May 6, 1924' 1,654,651 Johnson Jan. 3, 1928 1,935,092 Iversen et al. Nov. 14, 1933 2,470,235 Burrell May 17, 1949 

